After a thoroughly entertaining match in Tirana, Dimitar Berbatov gave Bulgaria a share of the spoils with a late strike. It could have been oh-so different had Ervin Skela not had his late penalty saved by the 'keeper...
Dimitar Berbatov kept Bulgaria's Euro 2008 hopes alive with a late strike in Tirana to seal a draw with Albania.
It was a tremendous encounter, and a close-fought one, too, although Albania will rue that last-minute penalty miss that saw them throw victory away.
Still, they had a moment in the sun in the first half. Admittedly, it was the Lions who started the stronger side, Iliev and Berbatov breaking forward, but soon the hosts established a rhythm, taking advantage of Bulgaria's midfield frailties.
Such persistence paid off just after the half hour mark as, under pressure, Leicester City's Radoshan Kishishev headed through his own net to give the hosts a merited lead.
After the interval, both sides made changes, but Bulgaria's were more pronounced. Coach Dimitar Penev made two substitutions as he looked to save both Bulgaria's qualification campaign and also his job.
The alterations helped as Bulgaria began to re-establish patterns of possession but, in truth, there were chances at both ends.
Still, the Bulgarians managed an equaliser with three minutes to go as Spurs ace Dimitar Berbatov got on the end of a Martin Petrov cross to fire home a trademark finish.
The drama wasn't over, though. With seconds remaining, the luckless Kishishev was penalised for handball in the box. Ervin Skela of Energie Cottbus was entrusted with the spot-kick, but he could only watch on in horror as Georgi Petkov saved his penalty.
For all the effort it took to get there, a point didn't do the visitors much good as the Netherlands seem set to qualify alongside Romania for Euro 2008. For Albania, it was another, unwelcome hard-luck story, but one that perhaps reflected the balance of play over 90 minutes, if not the chances on goal.
Albania 1 - 1 Bulgaria
1-0 Own goal (Kishishev) 32'
1-1 Berbatov 87'
Albania: Beqaj; Curri, Dallku, Dede, Vangjeli; K. Duro, Haxhi (Mukaj 46), Lala, Skela; Salihi (Bulku 73), Bogdani.
Bulgaria: G. Petkov; Kishishev, Tomasic, V. Iliev, Lucio; S. Angelov, Stilian Petrov (Yankov 46), Telkiyski (Georgiev 46); Popov, Berbatov, Martin Pet
Yellow Cards: Iliev 28, Vangjeli 35, Lucio 83, Beqaj 85.
Referee: Fritz Stuchlik (Austria).
(Goal.com)
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